Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems are employed to identify and thus track a wide array of objects. Some examples of objects that use RFID technology for identification and tracking are documents (i.e., passports and drivers license), retail merchandise, portable electronics, furniture, parts, pharmaceuticals, and shipping containers. The RFID systems comprise one or more RFID interrogators that read information stored in RFID tags and a computer for processing the information. The RFID tag is normally attached directly to an object or is placed inside packaging that contains the object. Whenever an RFID tag is within range of an RFID interrogator, the RFID interrogator reads the information encoded on the RFID tag.
Ambient or background noise, which includes RF signals from other tags, interrogators, and devices, can make it difficult or in some cases impossible for an RFID interrogator to detect an RF reply signal from an RFID tag. To mitigate this problem, protocol parameters have been established. The protocol parameters control the transmission of an RF reply signal by an RFID tag. The values for the different protocol parameters are determined by the RFID interrogator and transmitted to the RFID tags, which then use the parameters to generate and transmit RF reply signals. Properly set, the protocol parameters will increase the probability that an RFID interrogator will accurately read all RFID tags within range even in the presence of ambient noise. If the protocol parameters are not properly set, the RFID interrogator will fail to read some or all of the RFID tags within the range of the RFID interrogator. Therefore, it is desirable for the RFID interrogator to be able to determine proper values for the protocol parameters to be able to read all RFID tags within range.